Economy sinks but Greeley remains "Great from the Ground Up!"

In a year when fiscal good news is hard to come by anywhere, North Star client Greeley, Colorado was a bit of a bright spot.  Click for a quick overview of Greeley’s brand.

In 2008 the city’s sales taxes on lodging wound up 19.6 % higher for the year, while room taxes were up 13.5 %.  And while not up, Greeley’s entire retail sales tax picture was down only 0.68% (compared to national retail sales, which are down almost 11%).  

But the good news doesn’t stop there.  Greeley had a booming lodging month in January 2009 with three major conferences and many are anticipating another big year.

According to Sarah MacQuiddy, president of the Greeley Chamber of Commerce, this opportunity to shine came because Greeley offers a less expensive alternative to the metro area.  A cohesive image allowed Greeley to leverage this opportunity for maximum impact.  In a word, visitors came because of cost, but came back because they found Greeley really is great from the ground up!

The moral of the story:  Greeley’s brand is built around the idea that this is a place where the land still means opportunity and strength of character still matters.    Truer words were never spoken!  Because when that opportunity struck Greeley this year . . .  even in the middle of adversity . . . the community was ready with a strong brand and excellent assets!